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The design of a transistor allows it to function as an amplifier or a switch.

This is accomplished by
using a small amount of electricity to control a gate on a much larger supply of electricity, much like
turning a valve to control a supply of water.
Transistors are composed of three parts a base, a collector, and
an emitter.

Base = gate controller device for the larger electrical supply.
Collector = larger electrical supply.
Emitter = outlet for electrical supply.

By sending varying levels of current from the base, the amount of current flowing through the gate
from the collector may be regulated. In this way, a very small amount of current may be used to
control a large amount of current, as in an amplifier. The same process is used to create the binary
code for the digital processors but in this case a voltage threshold of five volts is needed to open the
collector gate. In this way, the transistor is being used as a switch with a binary function: five volts
ON, less than five volts OFF.
Still Can't Understand How Transistor Works!
Try this imagination!

We provide a reservoir of water for "C" (the "power supply voltage") but it can't move
because there's a big black plunger thing in the way which is blocking the outlet to "E".
The reservoir of water is called the "supply voltage".

If we increase the amount of water sufficiently, it will burst our transistor just the same as
if we increase the voltage to a real transistor. We don't want to do this, so we keep that
"supply voltage" at a safe level.

If we pour water current into "B" this current flows along the "Base" pipe and pushes that
black plunger thing upwards, allowing quite a lot of water to flow from "C" to "E". Some
of the water from "B" also joins it and flows away.


If we pour even more water into "B", the black plunger thing moves up further and a
great torrent of water current flows from "C" to "E".
Physics Form 5: Chapter 4 - Transistor as an Amplifier

An amplifier circuit

I
B
= base current
I
C
= collector current
I
E
= emitter current
V
BB
= base voltage
V
CC
= collector voltage

The function of resistantR
B
is to control and limit the base current.


How transistors function as an amplifier:
The forward-bias from base to emitter narrows the base-emitter,BE depletion
layer.
The reverse-bias from base to collector widens the base-collector, BC depletion
layer.
The free electrons from emitter diffuse easily through the forward-
biased BE junction into the p-type region.
The base region is lightly doped and very thin, so it has a limited number of
holes. Therefore, only a small percentage of the all electrons flowing through BE junction
can combine with the available holes in the base region.
Most of the electrons do not combine with holes but diffuse intoBC depletion
layer.
Once here, these electrons are pulled through the reverse-biasedBC junction by
the electric field set up by the force of attraction between the positive and negative ions.
Electrons now move through the collector region and into the positive terminal of
the collector voltage source.
This forms collector current which is larger than the base current.



Conclusion:
When there is a small change in the base current, there will be a big change in the
collector current.

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